If you have dial-up Internet, you have probably encountered a few errors when you try to connect to the Internet. Sometimes the errors have some unrecognizable jargon and deciphering what to do next is difficult. Here are a few things to try:
*Redial—for one reason or another, connection occasionally fail. The error message may or may not accurately reflect the true problem. Sometimes, all it needs is for you to try again. If you get the same message twice in a row, then you know the problem is legitimate and can’t be resolved as simply.
*Restart—sometimes your computer needs a refresher when it fails or malfunctions. Many times, especially with a simple problems, restarting your computer will resolve it. If you get a repeated error message, especially after you restart, you probably need to do a little technical support.

Here are the three of the most common dial-up errors you are most likely to encounter, and what probably needs to be done to resolve it.

*680—There is no dial tone. Several things can cause an error 680:
 1. You forgot to plug your phone cord from the jack to the back of the computer.
2.  There is something wrong with the phone line. Check on the home phone if you hear a dial tone.
3.  The phone cord your computer is using is damaged (sometimes if it’s too long, like over 25 feet, it can cause problems connecting).
4. The phone cord is plugged into the wrong port in the back of the computer.
5. Your modem is not functioning.
Try a few combinations, like different cords, jacks, ports, etc. This should eventually narrow down what is causing the problem.

*691--Invalid username and/or password. Several scenarios can cause this error:
1. The username and/or was typed incorrectly. Try clearing out both fields completely and retyping them in.
2.  The access number has an outage or malfunction. If you have more than one, try another. Or call your ISP to see if there is an issue on their end.
3. Your account has been terminated or suspended. Have you paid your ISP bill recently? If not, you might need to make a payment before you can connect again.

*678--Your modem cannot establish a connection/there is no answer. Here are the most common reasons for this error:
1. Your access number is not entered correctly. If you have invalid characters (like letters, dashes, spaces, or symbols), an unneeded (or missing) area code, extra or missing numbers, etc., you won’t connect.
2. Your access number is not working. Sometimes the access number is too far away, not working properly, etc. Try another access number if you can to see if you get the same error.
3. Your connection is corrupted. Delete and recreate (or reinstall) your dial-up connection and try again. 4. There is too much static on the phone line you are using. If there is too much line noise, like buzzing, humming, and static, your modem cannot communicate over your phone line. Call your phone company if you can hear static.

In any of these scenarios, there are some technical adjustments that can be made to improve the quality of your connection, so call your ISP for assistance if you cannot resolve the error on your own. Check out www.modemhelp.net for more information on tech supporting dial-up errors.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

In every field of interest, work, and education, there are always questions to be answered. Whether it’s a common question asked over and over by someone new to the area, an opinion question that could have lots of answers, or an in-depth, technical question only a very experienced person would be able to answer, there is usually someone willing to answer it. But how do you find these people? Or where can you go to share your knowledge on a particular subject with others? A forum is a perfect place to discover these things.

There are usually two types of forums. Some forums are just one page of a game, company, organization or project’s website. This type of forum is to ask questions about the website and what the website offers or represents. The questions that are asked on this forum are often directed to owners or developers of the website and are sometimes answered by frequent users or members of the website. Someone could use this forum to ask a question about a feature on another page that they don’t understand or that isn’t working properly. The website programmers or technicians can respond or be made aware of the technical issues on the site. On the other hand, forums of this type can also be used by the site owners to make announcements or ask questions of the user base. Check out Copper.net's forum here.

The other type of forum is not supplemental to the website, but the reason for the website. Some websites are created solely (or at least largely) for the purpose of hosting several forums on a subject of interest, like baseball, or a type of marketing. On these sites, there are usually a variety of forums on subtopics, making it easier to find questions asked on a certain element of the subject of interest. This is a great place to do some research. If you are new to a subject, you are likely to find frequently asked questions from the past to which you could benefit from reading the answers. If you don’t find a question that’s already been asked, you can add a new one of your own. This type of site is also a good place to brainstorm or share ideas with others who are experienced and interested in something you are. You can spend hours asking and answering questions on forums.

Although forums vary somewhat, they all contain some similar formatting. When you first enter a forum, you will see a list of questions you can click on to read and answer. At the top of this list, you will often find the stickies. These are the questions that people tend to ask over and over. They have already been answered and resolved, but they have been “stuck” to the top of the list so everyone will see them. This is to minimize the amount of people asking the exact same question that has already been discussed and answered in the past. You should read the stickies if you are new to a forum or the subject to keep from asking something that has already been asked dozens of times before.

The rest of the questions listed are open questions, usually listed newest to oldest in the time that they were posted. When you click on an open question, you will see the original question, and (if any) the responses from others to the question. As you scroll down the replies, you will probably notice these elements:
1. Replies: There will be both replies to the original question, and replies to other replies (if someone was to disagree or wished to expand on the response).
2. Quoted text: Usually in italics, this is a way for someone to respond to or expound on something that was already said.
3. User identification: Each individual reply has a screen name, photo, signature, possibly some links to other websites. This is a way for a user to represent themselves.
4. User rating. In order to know how experienced or reputable an answer is to your question, every user has some sort of rating that shows how long this member has been asking or answering questions. You may also see a rating of the person’s reputation that others have given them because they answered the question so well.

Forums are a great place to connect with others from all over the world about a common interest to gain insight, learn about new topics and techniques, or share your knowledge with others.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

One major misunderstanding about dial-up is about where it can be set up. Many dial-up users do not realize that dial-up has very little restrictions on where it can be set up and how many times it can be set up. Multiple computers can have the same dial-up connection, even computers away from home. As long as only one of the connections is being used at one time, you will be able to connect from almost anywhere in the US. A dial-up connection is simply a collection of information a computer needs to establish and authorize a connection with your ISP—a local access number, username, and password. Your ISP should be able to give you an access number for nearly any location, so if you go on vacation or visit friends out of town, you can still set up a dial-up connection.

Another common misunderstanding about dial-up is how easy it is to create a new connection. Many people think you cannot set up a dial-up connection without a software download or a CD from the ISP. You can actually set up a new connection on any computer that has a dial-up modem without any company software. All computers come with an Internet connection set up wizard or adjustable network settings where you can input your username and password, etc. The software your ISP provides is simply using those components on your computer. It is fairly simple to set up the connection on your own, providing you have all the information it will ask you for, like a local access number. ISP connection software is provided for the sake of being user friendly, but it can also provide an advertising venue and run unnecessary programs on your computer, even after the service has been cancelled.

A third common dial-up misunderstanding is of the cause for various connection speeds. There are very few things that can affect your dial-up connection speed: The dial-up modem, the phone line, and the access number. For example, newer modems have better compression technology that can significantly alter the ability for your connection speed to increase. A phone line that is poorly wired, aged, or a far distance from the phone company can cause some users to have a worse connection than someone else using the same service with better phone line conditions. Access numbers can be heavily used or originate some distance from the user and also slow Internet connections. There are some software downloads that you can use to increase page loading speed or image compression, but they cannot increase your actual connection speed (kbps).

Understanding how dial-up works can sometimes help you get the most out of your dial-up connection, open doors to new opportunities, and help you get the fastest connection possible for your computer. Ask your ISP if you have more questions about your dial-up Internet service. They can show you how to manually set up a connection, give you more access numbers, and help you learn more about how to improve your Internet service.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Social networking is an online network of friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances that allows individuals to share information, different types of media, and stay connected in an informal non-intrusive way.  Here are the top most popular social networking sites, what they do, and how you can join!

1. Facebook. Not only is this the most popular social networking site, it’s also the second most popular website globally. Originally, Facebook was created for college students to network with classmates within their school. Eventually, the popularity and demand to join allow new networks in, like high schools and businesses. Today, Facebook is open to anyone who wants to join. Much like other social networking sites, Facebook allows you to post blog-like entries, write messages on other people’s profile pages, play games chat with others who are online, etc.

Facebook is a great outlet for the sharing of information.  Whether it’s a note, photo album, a group or page you become a part of, you can let people know what’s going on in your life, share memorable moments, or spread awareness of a cause or idea.

Facebook has become extremely popular just in the last few years. There are currently 350 million active users on Facebook, according to statistics reported by the site. All you need to do to join Facebook is set up a free account using your email address. You can also use your email address to find friends who have a Facebook account already, and invite people who haven’t yet joined. Find out more at www.facebook.com.

2. MySpace. Although MySpace has been around the longest of the three sites listed here, it is currently the second most popular social networking site, and is losing momentum. MySpace is much more popular in the US than it is globally, ranking number 6 most popular in the US, and 14 globally, according to Alexa.com.

Since its launch in 2002, MySpace was the introduction to social networking for many of its members and is most likely responsible the momentum for the popularity of social networking for many Internet surfers, especially in the US.

The site is much like Facebook as far as the ability to network with friends, share photos, and communicate in different ways. The most obvious difference between the two is the visual/audio playground MySpace users enjoy. Each profile page can be designed and formatted to the colors, backgrounds, fonts, and layout of the user’s choice. A music playlist of favorites can also be added to play when a person visits the user’s profile page. To create your own MySpace account, check out www.myspace.com.

3. Twitter. This site puts a whole new spin to social networking. Although some of the typical activities can be shared on Twitter, the focus is keep the communication short and simple. Basically, a twitter account consists of a series of entries that are no more than 140 characters long. It just a thought, a note, a link, a sentence—to let people know what you are up to. Also, instead of requesting someone to add you as friend to connect, you simply “follow” whomever you wish—and anyone can follow you.

This is becoming very popular for people who like to keep in touch on the go. Even celebrities have time to keep up with a Twitter account—which is what helped make Twitter so popular. Another perk of the simple layout is that it’s easy to “tweet” from your mobile phone. To set up your own Twitter account, g to www.twitter.com.

Whether you like to share your stuff, be creative, or keep it simple, social networking has a niche for you!

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Social networking is currently one of the most popular Internet activities—and quickly it’s gaining popularity. It often combines many of the activities that people already use the Internet for: blogging, chatting, instant messaging, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, joining groups or clubs, advertising and marketing, learning about local events, and organizing events with clubs and groups of people. As you can see, not being a popular of the ever-popular social networking could definitely keep you out of the loop.

You may actually have engaged in or read about some form of social networking without even realizing it. If you don’t know the first thing about social networking, here’s a place to start.

Social networking is basically a website where people (and sometimes groups, businesses, and organizations) build and update a profile page with their photo and information (could be personal or professional). Depending on which social networking site you are a member of, the range and organization of the information is different. Profiles can constantly be changed, updated, and designed to the person’s current taste, mood, holiday, etc. Here are a few things you’ll usually find on a social networking profile page.

*Contact information: Addresses, phone numbers, location, work or home info
*Personal data: Interests, hobbies, relationship status, occupation, etc.
*Status: Could be anything from a quote or link to a simple statement like “going shopping today!” or “I wonder…”
*Uploads to share: Music, photos, documents, etc.

Some sites will let you post other little extras, like web applications on your profile page. Others allow you to change the background colors, layout, and music on your page. Many people change their profile pages in some way several times a week or day.

Once each member creates a profile, they can link to the profile pages of others. This is the main purpose of social networking, and the reason for the name. Each linking to other profiles is called “adding friends,” which allows you to have full view and access to their profile and vice versa. You can be friends with anyone as long as they agree to accept your request to add them. You can accept or deny any requests by other members to add you as a friend. Usually your friends consist of family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and acquaintances—pretty much anyone you know can be your friend when it comes to social networking. You can even find profiles of people you don’t know and request to add them as a friend. Here are some of the things you can do once you add friends to your network.

* You can easily communicate with your friends in a variety of ways: write a post (both long, blog-like entries, or simple short status updates) for anyone to read, chat with anyone who’s online, send a friend a public note that others can see, or a private message to one or a group of friends (just like emails).
* You can stay up to date on what’s going on in your friends lives, look at photos or videos they’ve posted, read what they’re up to or how they’re feeling, and read public messages that their friends have posted on your friends’ profiles.
* You can play or share games, photos, videos, and other web interactive applications the site features.
* You can quickly and easily spread awareness about a cause, event, or news story, etc.

Many people, and recently more and more businesses have seen the value of social networking, both as an entertainment and communication tool. As you become more involved with social networking, you better understand how it works and learn what ways it best benefits you.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Software usually comes in three forms: 1, pre-installed on your computer, 2, on a CD—either a performance program (like Microsoft Word) or the driver software that came with new hardware (like a modem), or 3, as a download from the Internet. Let's explore these individually:

Preinstalled Software

When you buy a computer, there is an operating system (usually Microsoft Windows) and several programs already installed. Typically, these would include a word processor and other tools and applications, like Word pad, Solitaire, etc., and an Internet browser like Internet Explorer. All the software that makes you're computer function and runs hardware is system software. All the programs on the All Programs list is application software.

Some programs come preinstalled, usually as a marketing tactic, and use system resources by starting up every time you turn on your computer, like Windows Messenger and sometimes a free trial of Norton Antivirus, or some other security software. Of course, just because these programs are installed doesn't mean you have to use them. You should probably uninstall anything you won't use to avoid using your system resources.

CD Software

Since software is basically just a complicated string of digital codes, the only way to physically buy it in a store is to buy a CD with the code stored on it. You then put the CD in your computer and install the program to use it. The majority of software programs (including the ones in the other categories) can be bought on a CD. Office tools, games, music players, security packages, and photo-editing programs are all typical software applications that are often purchased in stores. This is probably the most expensive route, but if it didn’t come preinstalled on your computer, it is usually worth it.

The best reason to buy software on a CD is because you can always reinstall it from the CD. Software can become corrupted, lost, or damaged after it was installed. Or worse, your computer could crash and you would have to reinstall everything back onto it. Having the CD means you can always reinstall the programs, or install it on a different computer in a matter of a few minutes.

Drivers are another type of CD software. All hardware is useless until it has the correct software that will make it be recognized by your computer's system software. When you buy a new printer, modem, or other attachable hardware, you are always prompted to install something from a CD. This is the driver. Most manufacturers will also list free links to download drivers in case you lose the CD, or the CD becomes damaged or outdated.

Downloadable Software

The Internet is one of the best and easiest ways to obtain software. You can download almost anything from the Internet, and much of it is free. There are antivirus and other anti-malware programs, browsers, games, photo/video editors, word processors and other office tools, etc. Download.com is one of the best places to find free downloads. Most people download programs because it is easier and cheaper than finding and buying it from a store. Sometimes tools and programs can be downloaded to troubleshoot hardware issues (like a corrupted driver), find and remove malicious software, and perform maintenance tasks, like scanning your computer or cleaning up unnecessary files.

You must be careful with Internet downloads, as some of them are disguised malicious software. Research a program before you download it if you're not sure that it's legitimate. You should be able to find reviews of the download fairly easily by doing a Google search for that program name.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

The Internet provides a vast variety of entertainment. Its options are nearly endless and is expanding and improving daily. With the development of broadband services, the gaming and entertainment world online has revolutionized from its early beginnings only a short decade ago. Many people, unfortunately, do not have access to broadband and many real-time online games require higher speeds than dial-up can provide.

One type of popular online games today are role playing games, or RPG's. This means that each player is playing the part of a character in a virtual world. Many times, the game sequences in real time, and dozens or even hundreds of people can also play the same game from all over the world, and the events of the game are happening at the same time for everyone. Dial-up and other slow connections often cannot display passing events in real time because of latency, the delay experienced because of long loading times. RPG's can be played on dial-up if it is not in real time, or if the graphics are simple and easy enough for dial-up to load. An example of this is GuildWars.com.

There are many fun and engaging games that can be played on a dial-up connection, many of which are very popular for dial-up and broadband users alike. The key to finding a dial-up compatible game is to look for flash games. Flash games are games that are loaded by adobe flash player and are run from the website itself. This means that once the game is loaded, it runs completely without using your Internet connection. Usually, flash games do not require you to leave the webpage you are on when it loads. The means you can play the games offline! The following are some websites that offer free online flash games that work great with dial-up Internet connections:

* Addictinggames.com

* Flashgames247.com

* Games.Yahoo.com

* Miniclip.com

* Popcap.com

These are only a few of the hundreds of gaming websites. Other gaming websites can be found by searching for “flash games” or “free online games” on a search engine like google.

The games may take much longer to load on dial-up than they would on broadband connections, but once they do, you can play for hours without experiencing any problems because of having a slow connection. In fact, you can even disconnect from the Internet after the game has loaded, and continue playing the game from the cached webpage. This means that you don't have to tie up your phone line in order to play for extended periods of time.

Here are a few other tricks and tips:

• Save your favorite games to your bookmarks or favorites list so you can access them quickly.

• Load a new game on a separate window while you play another game. This way, you don't have to sit and wait for the new game to load. It can load in the background while you are playing on another window.

• There are hundreds of gaming websites, and some are better quality or load games more quickly than others. If you find a game you like, but the game window is very small or takes too long to load, run a search query for that game's name to find other websites that have that game. Chances are, you'll find a website that plays the game better than the other one.

• Minimize a game window rather than closing it. This way, if you have other work to do or need to leave the computer for some time, you can set your computer to “Stand by” and come back later. You can then open the window you have minimized and your game will still be there. You won't have to start over or wait for it to load again.

Don't let having dial-up get you down, there's still so much fun to be had!

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Dial-up modems are the core component to a dial-up connection. It is the device responsible for creating and maintaining a connection with your ISP and to translate analog information for your computer to display. If you have determined that your modem is causing disconnects or inability to connect, you will need to reinstall, repair, or replace it.

Three basic reasons that your modem would cause problems connecting are:

1. It is not installed correctly on the computer.

2. It needs updated driver software.

3. It is out of date, physically broken, or has corrupted software.

The solutions to these problems below should solve the problem and get you back online.

Reinstall your modem. Before you remove your modem, make sure you have the installation CD that came with your computer. If you don't, you might be able to reinstall without it. If your computer's operating system is XP or Vista, the plug and play feature should install the modem for you or guide you through each step. On older versions, you may need to consult a computer technician. Then follow these steps:

1. Open Control Panel, then (in classic view) “Phone and Modem Options”.

2. Click on the Modems tab, and click on the modem you wish to reinstall.

3. Click Remove. Click “Yes” or “Ok” to confirm the remove, then close all the windows.

4. Restart your computer. Windows should detect your modem and either install it on its own, or present a “Found New Hardware” wizard that guides you through installing the modem again.

There are a few problems that might occur when you reinstall the modem. You computer may not detect the modem again when you restart. This could mean the modem cannot be repaired by reinstalling or was never physically on the computer in the first place. Another problem could be that your computer tries to reinstall, but won't complete because it requires an installation CD. If this happens and you don't have the CD, you can sometimes find installation software online on the manufacturer's website. A computer technician can help you with this step, or may have other solutions.

Reinstalling does not guarantee to resolve your problem, even if it is successful. However, sometimes it works and it's a worth a try, especially if you couldn't connect to the Internet in the first place.

Update your modem drivers. If you have an older computer, you may need to update your modem software if you still can't connect to the Internet. To update your modem software, you need to know your modem type and manufacturer. Look for your modem name is listed in Phone and Modem Options, under the Modems tab. If you are using the modem that came with the computer, you could also check your computer's manual, or your modem's manual if you bought it separately.

You can browse online to find your modem manufacturer's website. Often there is a “downloads” heading, but you can also run a search on your modem's name. The download will have your modem's name and “driver” in the title. See a computer technician if you are unfamiliar with computer device downloads as this could be too complicated for beginner users to try alone.

Buy a new modem. Your modem may not be repairable if it can't be reinstalled, or if the driver software will not improve your situation. This is especially true for old computers. Buying a new modem may be the best option available. For one, new modems are more reliable, relatively inexpensive (often between $20-50), and have the latest, fastest compression technology.

If you need are not familiar with modems or computer repair, buying a new modem may be the most inexpensive option for you. Installing a new external modem is fairly easy, and paying a computer technician to fix your old modem could cost more than installing a new one yourself.

If you need are not familiar with modems or computer repair, buying a new modem may be the most inexpensive option for you. Installing a new external modem is fairly easy, and paying a computer technician to fix your old modem could cost more than installing a new one yourself.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

So you need a dial-up modem. Don't let the task of finding and installing the right one overwhelm you. If you are looking for a way to save money, but not get stuck with something cheap, you don't want to hire a technician to install one for you. It might be easier, but it's not necessary. If you get the right modem, it's easy to install and won't cost a fortune. But first you need to understand some things about dial-up modems in general.

Never buy a used modem. For one thing, you won't know if its actually going to work, and it could be also missing the installation instructions and driver software CD you need. A new modem may be more expensive, but money you save getting a used modem is not worth the frustration it not installing correctly or wearing out much sooner than a new one.

Not all modems are the same. All Internet services require that you have a modem or some similar equipment, but there's a big difference between a broadband modem and a dial-up modem. Any broadband modem will not connect to dial-up—it would be like trying to fix a tractor with car parts! Most modems say “Dial-up” “Cable” or “DSL” in their name, however, if you aren't sure, check the description on the box before you put it in your cart, or ask an attendant or friend to help you find the right modem.

Check it's compatibility to your computer. What version of Windows is operating your computer? Or is it a Mac? Do you have a desktop or a laptop? Make sure the modem you have chosen will be able to install on your computer. External modems, the type of modem that plugs into the outside of your computer are usually compatible with almost all computer types.

Make installation simple. Keep in mind that external modems will be much easier to install than internal modems (which require you to unscrew the cover from your computer tower, etc.) Also, external modems can easily be moved if you want to use it on more than one computer. If you have a laptop, you basically have to install it externally. Even on a desktop, installing an internal modem takes much longer and involves the risk of damaging other computer parts in the process. With an external modem, all you have to do is plug in the modem into a USB port and run an installation CD.

Get the latest standard. This is another reason not to get a used modem. Modems are constantly being improved over the years with compression technology that can dramatically improve your connection speed. V.92 was introduced in 2004. It has the fastest upload speed yet (improved from 33K to 48K), an Internet Call-Waiting feature that allows you to put the Internet on hold to take calls while online, and improved connection speed (both while connecting and once connected).

Try looking online. If you need to get connected right away, you probably want to buy your modem locally. However, if you have access to the Internet elsewhere, it might be worthwhile to look online. You can find websites, like Newegg.com, that show the prices of several competitors, read about different types of modems, and have more modems brands to choose from. Many stores either don't offer or offer very few types of dial-up modems, because the demand for them has decreased. Don't forget to calculate shipping costs when you are looking for the best price, and make sure you understand the seller's return policy.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

You may be in for a surprise if you're planning to sign up for dial-up Internet. Although dial-up modems were always installed on computers in the past, many computers are now being sold without them. In order to avoid having problems once you're paying for Internet services, you should check whether your computer has a dial-up modem installed. There are two areas to look for a dial-up modem.

First, look at the back of your system unit, or tower. There should be a port that looks just like the telephone jack in the back of a telephone and in the wall. You can use a regular phone cord to test whether the port is the right size (if it's too big, it's not the right port). You will find one of these three scenarios:

1. There is only one a port, but it is slightly larger than a regular phone port. This is the Ethernet port used for broadband connections, like cable and DSL. If this is the only port you have, you do not have a dial-up modem.

2. There is one telephone port (often along the bottom, but not always) and a telephone cord fits in it snugly. You have a dial-up modem! If you are planning to use a telephone on the same phone jack your computer is using, plug a splitter in the wall jack, then plug in two phone cords into the splitter for each device.

3. There is two ports side by side that fit the telephone cord. You found your dial-up modem! The reason you have two ports is because one is to plug a phone cord coming from the wall and the other is to connect a telephone to use when you are not online. The port marked “line” or showing a picture of a phone jack is for the cord coming from the jack in the wall. The port reading “phone” or showing a picture of a telephone is where you plug a phone cord leading to your telephone. *Note: You do not need to use the "phone" port. Also, keep in mind that if you accidentally plug the wall jack line into the "phone" port instead of the "line" port, you will not be able to connect!

If you do not have a modem, you need to buy one. If you do, the following steps will show you how to check if your modem software is installed properly. 

1. Open Control Panel, then make sure you are in classic view if you have XP or Vista.

2. Open your modem options. On older versions of Windows, you'll see “Modems”, and on 2000 or newer, you'll see “Phone and Modem Options”.

3. Click on the “Modems” tab (skip this step if you have an older computer).

4. Here is a box listing the modem(s) installed on your computer.

5. Beside the modem it lists where it is connected. It will either have “not present”, or “COM” and a number. (On older computers, click properties for the modem in question and look for “Port:” Your modem must be listed as attached to one of the COM ports, or you modem has been removed or corrupted. If this is the case, you must either reinstall, repair, or replace the modem.

If you have a modem both installed in the tower and listed as properly installed, you are ready to sign up for dial-up. Other minor issues could occur once you try to connect, however, you will be better prepared and less likely to have connection issues upon starting your new service.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!